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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rock — a stone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — the amount
  21. rock — music
  22. content — happy
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com